Syria and Lebanon, which are already embroiled in domestic strife and an economic crisis, have been drawn into the most recent Israel-Hamas conflict. After Hezbollah terrorists started firing at Israeli forces following Hamas' October 7 attack, villages close to the Israel-Lebanon border are now almost completely deserted.
Syria is also involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict since Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) uses it as a launching site. Two airstrikes were carried out by the US military near the town of Abu Kamal in eastern Syria. President Joe Biden declared that the US will not stand for such acts and will protect its people, its interests, and its own interests. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin characterised the airstrikes as acts of self-defense.
About 30,000 persons in Lebanon have gone missing as IDF and Hezbollah terrorists with Iranian support fire across the border. 28,965 Palestinians have reportedly evacuated their homes close to the Israeli border, according to the International Organization for Migration. Most now live in safe neighborhoods with relatives or rent homes on their own.
There are worries that a larger conflict would engulf Lebanon. Well, it has. Indeed, Lebanon was drawn into this by Hezbollah. Hezbollah fired anti-tank guided missiles against an Israeli military location yesterday in the Misgav Am region and around Avivim on the northern border. Moreover, it launched rockets and missiles toward Israeli towns close to the border as well as IDF outposts. The bulk of those slain in the cross-border gunfights, perhaps fifty-eight, were Hezbollah fighters.